No Bumpers
by FallenAngelSurei
Summary: After an awkward goodbye, Elle and Emmett have a rendezvous to say hello. Takes place at the end of Elle’s first year and the beginning of her second. Seen through Emmett’s eyes.
1. Chapter 1

You're all completely shocked, right? Me? Writing again? It's a sign of the apocalypse. Nah, I just was really in a writing/Legally Blonde mood and so I decided to whip up this two-parter. The second part will come soon.

**Disclaimer: **_**Legally Blonde: The Musical**_** does not belong to me in any way, shape, or form, and neither do the characters or actors or anything.**

"To Elle—the best damn lawyer there is!"

Elle Woods was obviously in too good of a mood to correct Brooke in the little slip of tongue when she called Elle a lawyer. After all, Elle was still merely an intern. Just an intern who happened to win an immense murder trial.

All around the foyer—consisting of marble floor and retro paintings lining the white walls—of Brooke Wyndham's mansion, hands raised glasses of champagne to toast a certain blonde and cheer wildly for a moment or two. As she began the ever-so modest speech of gratitude, Emmett Forrest walked briskly towards the table presenting alcohol and snacks in all their deliciously scandalous glory. He placed the crystal glass down, smacking his lips tastelessly, squinting his chocolate eyes somewhat. He had never been a champagne sort of guy—much too dry. As he looked over the table for another drink, water possibly or that Red Bull stuff, he was soon caught off-guard but another loud exclamation.

"Well we can't forget Emmett guys!"

As soon as he heard his name, he spun around on his heel, and was smack dab in front of Elle. Soon enough he was being hauled to the center of the room, a place he was never too fond of. He didn't seem to do so well when he was the center of attention. He tried halting her in any way possible—muttering excuses, trying to stop his feet from actually walking, but nothing worked with her. This was when his eyes fell on her hand grasping his arms. The small, dainty fingers seemed to fit snug around his arm and he couldn't help but let a fleeting smile pass over his features.

"He graduated just a couple of days ago. I say mad props for that!" She cheered around and embraced him warmly for a moment as everyone else exuberantly applauded and bellowed their approval. As soon as the hug had started, it had ended and he was left stranded with everyone's gaze on him.

"Er, thanks, guys…it's nothing compared to Elle, though, so please, give her the attention." He chuckled sheepishly and raised his hand, void of a drink, to acknowledge them all before slipping back into the crowd who seemed to take his word. Elle was once more the center of attention of nearly everyone at the party. Most people he didn't even know either. This must have been Elle's every night back at UCLA, Emmett thought to himself. He wondered if he was missing some huge experience of college by not going to parties on a daily basis.

The party continued as planned—the alcohol was consumed speedily and uproarious events occurred because of it. The guests mingled, laughed aloud, and sang off-key to the blasting music which helped set the up-beat mood.

Perhaps it was best he hadn't gone to any of those parties in undergraduate school. Was he missing a fun gene or something in his DNA? His eyes traced Elle's every movement—her casual grace of flitting about the room, greeting every guest, and laughing casually with them. She was just so damn good at it.

"Congratulations, Emmett."

He nearly jumped out of his skin with the sudden interruption of his thoughts and he spun around once more. This time it was an elegant brunette he was greeted with instead of the preferred high-spirited blonde. This was not to say Vivienne's company was completely unwelcome of course.

"Thank you," he replied meekly, not sure what else to say to that. This party was meant to congratulate Elle's win and Brooke's release, not his graduation. That was a meager accomplishment compared to Elle he so avidly believed. Though the sudden praise from people wasn't half-bad either. As the words ran dry from his mouth, he once more found Elle roaring with laughter alongside Paulette and Kyle.

"She's certainly come a long way, hasn't she? And we all didn't believe she could do it in the beginning." Vivienne's tone showed lucid sanction of her newfound friend but the bitten words ruffled Emmett's feathers.

Not everyone believed she couldn't do it at the beginning. Who did they think helped her all those early months? Who did they think saw something in her no one else did? He knew all too the lengths she had come to be in such a position for he had been there along the entire ride. He was the person who had activated the entire journey in the first place to make her see how dedicated she could become to law.

"She's proven to be many things that people didn't think she was," he concurred with a nod of his head. "She'll go far." His words were simple and yet they held the entire world of adoration and respect. Elle was absolutely perfect in every sense of the word yet she had seemed so incongruous from first glance. They were apples and oranges in the beginning and as time passed, they morphed into two peas in a pod. He felt comfortable at this point with her but there was an ache within him, begging to escape, to sweep her off her feet. Yet why would she choose him? Now that she was finally over Warner, she could have any guy she set her eyes on.

The hours passed. As did Aaron (apparently he's not as alcohol-resistant as he bragged he was). Enid had gotten in a heated debate with someone named Meredith which resulted in the throwing of little chocolates at one another. To say the least, the very least, the party was a hit and as the hours dwindled into the night, people began to slowly stumble home.

Emmett began to wander through the halls, eyes drawn to the clashing and yet pleasing decorum spread throughout the building. Turning into the now abandoned foyer, he walked in on a sight he never though he'd be graced with seeing. Elle had collapsed on the couch, head thrown back on the several throw pillows as she snored softly. Emmett came to the official conclusion that she would look beautiful in any situation thrown at her.

He came to a second conclusion that everyone loved sneaking up on him tonight because he jumped once more when Brooke suddenly touched his shoulder. "Shh," he motioned towards the other blonde quietly and pointed towards Elle. Brooke and Emmett exchanged smiles and silent chuckles. "I should probably get her back to her dorm."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Emmett. She can stay here for the night. I'll make sure she gets to the airport on time tomorrow."

His eyes widened when he suddenly remembered that Elle would be flying back to California tomorrow morning for the summer break. He wouldn't see her again until autumn and they had spent virtually no time together tonight. Was this their good-bye? "No, I think she'd prefer to sleep in her own bed. You know how she is." He chuckled again and his eyes clearly told Brooke that he wouldn't let her stay here and so Brooke nodded.

"I'll driver her car over in the morning."

As the agreement was reached, Emmett padded as quietly as possible across the room to transport Elle to his car. Then he was faced with his predicament: does he carry her or wake her up? She looked so utterly peaceful sleeping but carrying her…well, there were many situations attached to that scenario. He leaned forward to pick her up but then pulled back, hesitating and muttering incoherent nonsense to himself. "What do I do, what do I do…?"

And she seemed to the answer the question for him by stirring slightly and fluttering her eyes open. "Em…Emmett?" As she tried to life her head, she quickly fell back down, a hand shooting to hold her temple. "Ow," she meekly groaned and groggily gazed upwards at the male.

"You're drunk. Come on, I'll drive you home," he offered, holding a hand out to the female.

"Delta Nu girls do not get drunk," she slurred. "That's disgusting. We just get a little ti-tipsy is all," holding her index finger out to Emmett, she tried to focus on it but it was wavering like mad until Emmett just forced her to take his hand. Helping her up, she leaned against Emmett, sprawling her arms around him, causing him to nearly fall over. As he walked throughout the house and she stumbled, the two managed, with only knocking two plants over, to make it to his car.

"I guess this is good-bye for a while, huh?"

Elle looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed and not just because she was seeing two of everything. "What? Oh! Yeah…I guess it is. I didn't even realize that. Emmett, I'm sorry. We never got to have a good-bye dinner or anything."

"A good-bye dinner?"

"Well, yeah. And a congratulations dinner. It'll be months since we'll see each other. I'll be sure to call as long as you do." 

"I will, I will."

"Pinky promise?"

Blinking, Emmett shot her a glance before focusing back on the road. Pinky promise that he'd call her? Didn't she already know he'd just about die if he didn't talk her over their break? What else could he have done but give in, though? Lifting a hand from the wheel, they shard an awkward pinky promise but it certainly was a promise.

"Ow! Where's the light? Elle, that's my face."

Managing to flip the light switch on, Emmett glanced around the overly pink dorm room that he had become all too familiar with. "All right. Let's get you to…" At the sudden sound of snoring, Emmett glanced down to the female leaning in his arms. "You've got to be kidding me," he chuckled lovingly and swept his arms around her, heaving her up into her arms to carry her towards the bed. As he tucked her in, he finally took in the moment.

His heart sped up and he could already feel the beads of sweat forming on his palms.

"Any girl would be lucky to have a guy like you, Emmett."

He was shocked by her words and watched her struggle to stay conscious. "Go to sleep, Elle, you've got an early flight. Call me when you get to LA." She nodded drowsily and was soon back in a state of slumber.

Running a hand over his features, Emmett sighed aloud. She's drunk, he told himself over and over again, she didn't mean what she said. Yet watching her sleep there, his heart leapt with hope. Why now? She was leaving tomorrow for a couple of months—so many things could occur in that time frame. Swallowing roughly, Emmett bowed towards her, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Until we meet again little Miss Woods comma Elle."

When all was said and done, he left, shutting the door gently behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

He no longer had the security of being a student; he was on his own and had to fend for himself. Graduation had been an exhilarating experience and he was ready to go out and be a top-notch lawyer. Of course the world didn't seem ready for _him_ yet. The first three law firms had turned him down gently but sternly. They applauded graduation top three in his class and with honours but he didn't seem to be right for the job apparently. At his fourth interview, with a firm known as Brooks & Stone, he landed his first real job after graduation. He had not made partner or associate which, luckily, he understood but he was a practicing lawyer. He knew the chance at immediately becoming associate had been in his grasp with Callahan but the mere mention of his former professor's name made him nauseous. For now, he was happy where he was.

Besides, Harvard hadn't been able to get rid of him yet either.

The campus was sprinkled with orange, brown, red, and yellow hued leaves trickling down from the various trees across the lawn. Students were once more beginning to swarm the school, meeting friends after a seemingly short vacation and discussion which professors they had this time. Freshman timidly walked along the paved pathways, wary of stepping onto the grass that it may eat them whole despite higher graded students doing just that and quite clearly not being devoured.

Sauntering smartly across the university grounds as he had done many times over the summer (one of the few students who weren't able to get away it seemed), he made his way to the classroom of Professor Frederick Knightley, an intelligent but mad Welsh. After Emmett had so clearly defied Callahan, Knightley snagged Emmett so fast that the new graduate hadn't realized what had hit him. He found himself satisfied all the same—recommendations from such a professor would do him wonders.

"Professor Knightley, I got those files you wanted for today." He replied casually as he strolled towards the desk and handed them to the older man. Shoving his hands back in his jeans, he surveyed his superior's ever so animated face.

"Very good, Forrest. I daresay we might frighten a few students out of the class on the first day alone!"

The two men chuckled heartily and Emmett's eyebrows alone furrowed slightly. With Knightley's thick accent, people had to process the words for several moment s before actually figuring out what he had said. All the same, Emmett had a strong admiration for the man.

"Is that all you needed before class because I was thinking about grabbing a bit to eat real quick…"

"Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about before you take off."

The tone of Knightley's voice, unusually serious, caused Emmett to quirk a brow. He hadn't heard this tone very often and he was quite sure what to expect. "Yes, sir?"

"First off, don't call me sir. Makes me feel old." He gave a long sigh and ran a hand over his balding head. "Forrest, you're a bloody brilliant boy and I want to know your talent's not going to waste." He raised his brows at Emmett and anticipated an honest answer.

For several moments Emmett was too dumbfounded to give _any_ answer. What in the world was Knightley getting at? "I got a job at Brooks & Stone and I'm working here as you know. I realize it's a slow process but I feel fine for now."

"It may not be as slow as you imagine it to be." This caused Emmett even more perplexity but before he question what that meant, Knightley spoke once more. "Brooks & Stone is a sturdy firm; you'll do well there. I'll tell Stone not to be too harsh on you as he can be a righteous prat when he wants to. Listen, Forrest, this is probably my last year teaching. I'm getting older and while these kids are no match for a bloke like me, there's more I want to do. As you very well know, the school will need to find a replacement." He paused.

"I've recommended you."

"S-Sir—" It simply was a habit Emmett could not get out of when speaking to superiors.

"Don't say anything, boy, you deserve it. If you thank me on the other hand, I'll tell the board you whacked your granny over the head with a skillet so you can't get the position. I can't think of anyone better for the job, though. Now get out of here while I think of ways to torture the students. Be back in an hour and a half sharp." A small smile spread over Knightley's face as he shooed Emmett away.

The world seemed to suddenly stop as Emmett departed from the room, unconscious of everything around him. This time next year it could be _him_ asking an assistant to bring him files. He would be an actual professor. It could definetly help pay for the rest of his schooling. Would the board let someone this young teach? And this inexperienced (with teaching, that is)? Could he even handle such a job? The students may hate him. They man even—

His thought process was suddenly halted when someone walked right into him. He turned to the person and both spoke at once.

"I am _so_ sorry, I wasn't—"

"Sorry, I shouldn't have just been—"

Both stopped speaking when they immediately recognized the other's voice.

"Omigod, Emmett!"

"Elle!"

The blonde threw her arms around Emmett's neck in a ferocious embrace. He, of course, found no other option that suited him but to hug her back. He could smell the scent of the ocean on her, contrasting sharply with the pine-scented grounds. He wished the hug could last for an eternity but soon he felt her arms slipping to a release and he had to give in to letting her go as well.

Pulling back, his eyes ran over he features. Nothing had changed except for her skin becoming a bit more tan from all the sun in California. Her eyes still lit up like a pair of stars and her smile melted away any morose thoughts he might have had.

"How was your summer?" he asked her, not able to take his eyes off the female. Yet he seemed distant almost; the news Knightley had told him still plagued his mind as a most unexpected boon.

"Fabulous!" she exclaimed jubilantly. "Listen, I've got to get to class but I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight? You know, to catch up and celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"You graduating and me making it to my second year, silly! What else?" She stuck her tongue out a bit and Emmett found himself extremely thankful he didn't have buckling knees.

"Didn't we already celebrate at Brooke's party?" He chuckled softly, watching her lovingly. He wasn't disputing spending time with her, he was just curious.

"Well, yes, but you can never do enough celebrating! Plus we didn't catch up."

"We didn't have anything to catch up _on_."

"But we do now!"

"All right, all right, what did you have in mind, missy?"

"I thought I'd let you decide that one." She continued to flash her infectious smile, clearly in a very good mood. As she noticed Emmett's gaze grow distant, though, her face fell ever so slightly. "Emmett, is something wrong?"

"N-No! I just…just got some exciting news."

"Ooh—!"

"I'll tell you all about it tonight. You need to get to class and I need to eat. I'll pick you up at your dorm at seven, all right?" With a small, final hug he said his good-bye and took off, leaving Elle to her imagination of what his news could be.

As he walked off, he clearly heard a small cry from the female.

"Wait, Emmett, that's not fair!"

-

The day had seemed to move like molasses; seven o'clock simply couldn't come fast enough for Emmett. His two jobs at Harvard and Brooks & Stone had made him busy, yes, but not busy enough. All day long his stomach had been squirming and he felt like he was in high school again, patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting his first date. Although in this case it wasn't a date—it was merely an outing between two friends.

Which meant he shouldn't have stood in front of the scratched up mirror for forty-five minutes wondering what the dress code was. She had bought him a suit to impress Callahan and now he wanted to impress her but with where he was taking her, a suit may not have been the best choice. She had called the scruffy vibe cute, right?

-

"If you don't tell me this exciting news of yours right now I'll dress Samson up again."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?"

Emmett gave a defeated sigh to the blonde and smile wistfully over towards her. He had no choice but to tell her now—seeing his cat dressed up _once_ was bad enough. "Professor Knightley told me this would be his last year teaching and he recommended me for his position next year." Giving a small shrug, he acted as though it was nothing. After several moments of silence, Emmett wondered if possibly his news wasn't that exciting. Glancing over towards Elle, he figured out he was wrong. The smile on her face said it all—she was bubbling with excitement. "I see the great Elle Woods is at a loss for words."

Without any prior notice, there was a loud and lengthy squeal, causing Emmett to lose his grip on the steering wheel and swerve for just a moment (which caused him to curse softly under his breath). "Emmett, seriously?! That is _amazing_! I can't believe. We definetly have something to celebrate tonight." She bounced up and down in her seat which resulted in Emmett being profoundly baffled. Is this how people acted when they were excited? "Kay, now tell me where we're going."

"It's a surprise."

"Still?"

"Yes, still. Being at the intersection of Walnut and 4th doesn't excite me enough to tell you where we're going." He said sarcastically which resulted in the rolling of the blonde's eyes.

It certainly was wonderful to have her back.

-

"I was just wondering…" she pondered thoughtfully as she slid into the seat next to him. "Can we ask them to put the bumpers up?"

"What? The bumpers?" He asked in a shocked tone as he finished typing in their names and turned on the swivel chair to face her. "Are you telling me you can win a murder trial after having no prior law practice except for a year of law school but you need the bumpers up on the lane?"

"I'm not very good at bowling, Emmett. I would just prefer the bumpers up, please. That way you don't beat me that badly."

Producing a small yet affectionate smile, he shook his head somewhat. "No bumpers, Elle. I think it's time you took another leap so the bumpers are staying down," he said, lifting his brows as if to tell her not to try and convince him otherwise. "Now, go. It's your turn and I want to see just how bad you are." She playfully hit him as she got up to take her first turn and Emmett was immersed in everything that was around her—the way she moved, how she readied herself before throwing the ball, and, of course, the terrible throw that landed in the gutter. As did the second one.

He could tell she was disappointed but that assumption was soon shaken up as she barreled into him with an embrace. "What in the world…Elle? You okay?"

"Yeah, fine. I just realized I never congratulated you properly on your new job!" She brought the hug back and held him for a moment, giggling quietly. Her scent had changed ever so slightly. The smell of old books now blended with the California ocean which, surprisingly, made for an intoxicating aroma. What he didn't know was that she was doing the exact same thing.

Soon enough they had both let go and were both laughing softly amongst themselves. "Well thank you, Elle, but I don't have the job yet."

"Oh, don't give me that, mister. You'll get it easy. Who could be a better teacher than you?"

Giving a paltry shrug, he remembered their games were timed and so he stepped up to bowl his turn. The ball glowed neon during the atomic hours which had simply amazed Elle. After all, she had told him that she hadn't been bowling for about four years or so. He went bowling quite often since it was a hobby of his ever since he had been eight years old. The sport just seemed to suit him well.

"How did you do that?" Elle exclaimed and watched him strut proudly in a joking manner back to the chair. "A spare? Come on. You can't be that good." He realized she was watching him quietly and he watched her right back, not able to figure out what was on her mind. "Well, teacher, care to show me just how you do it?"

"W-What?"

"Come on, show me."

Emmett was suddenly more thankful for the fact that atomic bowling was done in the dark than he ever had been. It was now impossible for her to see the scarlet blush creeping its way onto his cheeks. "Er, all right."

The two stepped up to the lane, Elle holding the ball as was proper. Standing behind her, he reached both arms around her and gripped her forearms. Swallowing roughly, he could feel his breaths decreasing in length with each passing moment. They had hugged many times but this was intimacy between them like never before. In a bowling alley, Emmett reminded himself. Very romantic. Shaking the thoughts, he moved with her as he muttered softly the technique of the movement when throwing the ball down the lane. The ball was thrown and though it wasn't the best in the world, she knocked down three pins and that seemed to satisfy her enough.

She jumped up and down, shrieking in delight as she hugged Emmett for a very brief moment. "See? You make a fantastic teacher." She said, prodding his chest with her index finger.

-

"Want to come up for a cup of hot cocoa?"

"Now how can I turn _that_ down?"

The two walked in silence towards her dorm room, their steps in perfect sync with one another. This was just something else he adored about her: she seemed to fit so well with him that the silence wasn't threatening. They were each comfortable enough with each other that the mere knowledge of their presence was gratifying enough. Glances were exchanged along with small, flirty smiles on her part and gawkily sweet ones on his. The walk didn't take long because soon enough he found himself in the pink clad room of one Elle Woods.

"Lemme just whip up those drinks, all right?"

"Yeah, sure." Emmett knew this room all too well that he didn't need to marvel at the blatant colours adorning each and every prop. It suited her and made her stand out from the rest and he simply couldn't ask for more. Sitting down on her bed, he slipped off the jacket and tossed back on the bed behind him.

"Do you want marshmallows?"

"Of course. Can you have hot chocolate any other way?"

In due time they were each sitting on her bed with their hot cocoa in hands and chatting amorously together. Elle sat at the head of the bed while Emmett sat at the end, their attention on nothing else but one another.

"So, come on, tell me all the juicy details of your summer vacation." Emmett prodded her as he took a small sip from the already half empty mug.

"Oh, everything that I haven't already told you on the phone over the vacation?" She thought about it for a moment. "I don't think I have anything else. I pretty much did tell you everything on the phone. Oh! Wait a minute, there was that incident with Pilar at the spa. Nothing too major—just that her masseuse happened to be her ex-boyfriend. Not a very pleasant trip, I must say. She ended up throwing mud at him." Laughing aloud with Emmett, she shrugged somewhat. "Not impressive but that's Malibu life."

"What, no summer romance for you?" He gave the persona of being very non-chalant about the question but he was never very good at putting up fronts and inside he was aching to know if she had met someone in California that had won her heart.

"Nope, no summer fling. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, uhm, no reason. Just, you know, I figured every guy would be falling all over you out there." Chuckling nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck and gave a timid smile.

"Well, they were," she laughed once more and shook her head somewhat. "Besides, I met someone here last year that has me entranced."

"O-Oh? Do I know him?" His palms were starting to sweat and his heartbeat was racing wildly in pure nervousness.

"You might." She paused and flashed an alluring smile. "It's you."

Out of nowhere, he felt her lips on his lips and the warmth of her entire being shooting through him like bolts of lightning. He was too stunned to even respond to her and she was pulling away slowly before he could draw her back in.

"I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Obviously you—"

"No, don't apologize!" he said quickly and waved his hands in a small motion. "I just…I wasn't expecting it. You…Elle, you're wonderful. I didn't think—You and me—Oh, just come here."

Their lips clashed together, moving against one another as if they only had a few more minutes to live. Their lips didn't fit together perfectly like in the movies or in fairytales, but there was an ignited passion that caused them to move together as if their lips were made for one another. It was a frantic need to simply felt each other's contact, to know that this wasn't a dream.

"Hold on," Elle said breathlessly as she pulled away from him, leaving him to watch her hopelessly as she moved away for a moment to place their mugs on her desk. When she returned, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him down beside her on the bed. Their kiss resumed where it had left off, this time their limbs entangling together as they smiled brightly into the kiss. Teeth bumped together in an awkward fashion but nothing could have ruined this moment for them as they found themselves blissfully in the company of the one person who understood them beyond any means.

The kiss broke sweetly, each one feeling each other's breath as Elle shifted down, snuggling her head to his chest as they simply held each other.

"No bumpers?" Emmett asked as he stroked her hair soothingly, watching her with droopy eyes.

She looked up towards him and their gazes locked, the world drifting away behind them. "No bumpers."

**Well, I liked how that turned out. How about you guys? Leave reviews and let me know. Since I'm so terribly smitten with Elle and Emmett, I may just have to write more of them.**


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